Heartache
by mollietaz
Summary: What if Garrison had  brother and a family  that he loved and lost?  A story set just beore the gorillas were founded
1. Chapter 1

Heartache 22222222

Lt Craig Garrison sat on a bench at the riverside and watched as the water rippled over the stones and flowed gently towards the village pond. He felt at peace for the first time in a long time ,but he knew that the feeling wouldn't last . That the guilt would return as it always did when he thought of Sarah. She had been a beautiful loving child that had made his life complete . Even though she had been his brothers child , not having children of his own, she had been so special to him . He could not have loved her more if she had been his own daughter. With her death came feelings of loss and despair that he could not have believed possible. It was a death he felt responsible for, a death that had hurt more than losing David, his at least had been a soldiers' death, a death in battle. But Sarah's death had been so unnecessary . He had been with her when she died , holding her in his arms, he should have been able to save her , but it had all happened so quickly, and now she was dead and he was alive and the guilt he felt ate away at him every day.

The sound of children's laughter brought him out of his daydream.

He watched as they threw bread into the water and laughed as the ducks scuttled towards it fighting to see who would get there first and get the prize. He remembered he had done the same thing with Sarah when he had been on leave .Catherine and David had sat on this bench then holding hands and smiling at each other ,glad of each others company, so much in love, happy to let him play with their daughter while they spent time together . They had been a family then, so close. He still could not believe how lucky he had been when David had married Catherine. She had taken him into her family without question, knowing that he would be alone without them . If he was on leave she would make sure he had a place to stay, a place to call home. He was always made to feel welcome . Never an intruder, she told him their home was his home until he found the right girl to settle down with and start a family of his own. Whenever he had been injured she was always their when he woke up from his surgery, always at his bedside when he needed her , when he was afraid, . She had always manage to persuade the doctor to release him early , promising that she would take care of him , knowing that having to stay in hospital when he was starting to feel better was his worst nightmare. They had been so close then , the three of them and then when Sarah was born it felt as if their family was complete. Catherine said that sometimes she didn't know which of then was the proudest of her daughter, and that it was hard to tell the father from the uncle , they both loved Sarah so much. He spoiled her, taking her on outings and returning with presents that he had been told specifically not to buy . They smiled at him and scolded him like they would a naughty child , and then laughed at him. Shaking their heads knowing that nothing they said would change him, and he in turn just loved them more for letting him belong.

He tried to open his eyes , tried to work our where he was ,his mouth was so dry and his head hurt so much . He could hear a voice saying a name , maybe his name , he didn't know , and then the fear hit him. He didn't know, he tried to sit up and the nausea hit him and he threw up into the bowl that she held for him.

`it's alright Craig it's just the effects of the anaesthetic, here take another drink and wash your mouth out`. He did as he was told and then fell back onto the pillow, feeling completely washed out.

`Where am I?` he asked her

`You're in hospital in London , you've just been shipped back from North Africa , you were caught in an explosion, and have a severe concussion you've been out of it for quite a while ,but other that a few cuts and bruises and a broken wrist . you're all right. The doctors have just reset you're wrist , something to do with the bones not setting properly , but they tell me everything is fine now, but that's why you're feeling a little sick right now.

`You called me Craig, is that my name? I don't remember,

She looked at him and smiled,

`You probably won't remember anything for a while , you took quite a hit in the explosion , the doctor says that you were very lucky , it could have been much worse, but he says your memory should return in time and until then I'll be here to answer all your questions and help all I can. Your name is Craig Garrison and you are in the U. S .army and right now I think that is about all you need to know until you start to think clearer all right ?

He looked at the hand holding his and saw the wedding band. `Are you my wife? He asked

He saw the pain in her eyes ,`No , not your wife,` she said `I was your brothers wife, my name is Catherine `.

`Was ? He asked

`Your brother died , there's just you and me now , oh and Sarah , she's your niece and she's three years old and looks just like the two of you,

`I don't understand ? The two of us?

She took a photograph from her purse and held it up for him to see, it was of two men and a little girl and as he looked at the photo his eyes filled with tears,

`Which one is me ? He asked

She pointed to the man on the left and said,

`That's you and that's David , you were identical to everyone but me , some how even from the first I could always tell the two of you apart.`

Tears slid down his face,

`I don't remember, I look at him and I don't remember, he moved his head and the pain hit him again.

`Don't try , not just yet, let's get you better first , you are exhausted and you need to sleep`. She held his hand with one of hers and stroked his face with the other.

`All you have to remember right now is that I will be here whenever you need me, that you are my brother and I love you ,and that you are not alone, we will get through this together as we always have .now try and get some sleep ,because the sooner you get well the sooner I can get you home.`

`Thank you `, he said and closed his eyes,

She kept stroking his face until finally the exhaustion overtook him and he fell asleep, still holding tightly to her hand and not letting go when she tried to pull away. She settled herself in the chair , knowing that this was going to be a long uncomfortable night. The tears flowed silently then, both from the knowledge that Craig in time and with her help would be alright , but also that she had to grieve alone for the man who had been the love of her life. She looked at Craig and wished he didn't look quite so much like David, for looking at him was just a constant reminder that David wasn't coming home. She knew she should be grateful, that at least one of them had come back alive , and she hated herself for a part of her wished that it had been David, but that was something that she would learn to live with and something that Craig would never know.

When the doctor looked in a few minutes later he found her sitting with her head on the bed , holding Craig's hand , both of them fast asleep.

When he awoke the next day she was gone and for one terrible moment he thought she had been a dream , and that he was alone. The doctor came in and looked at him. `.How are you feeling today Lt?

Better I hope ? Craig looked at him

`Where's Catherine? He asked `She said she would be here`.

`Catherine's just headed back to my place to freshen up , she needed to get out of here for a while, it's not good for her to spend all her time here, and at least I know that she'll get a good breakfast, my wife will see to that My names Peter Roberts by the way I'm your doctor. Now back to you ,Nausea gone I hope?, how's the headache?`

`I feel better doc. Still a little woozy but things don't look quite so blurred today ,I just wish I could remember something , anything but I don't even know my name, don't know anything that Catherine hasn't told me. When will she be back? I feel better when she's here .`

`I know this is a lot to ask Lt. but please try not to rely on her too much, she's had a hard time these past few days and you being here isn't

helping her ,has she told you anything yet?

`Like what ?asked Craig

`The army screwed up Lt. and sent both you and you brother to the same place , and when you were hurt , he ran to help you and you were both caught in the second explosion, David died saving your life, but you lost your dog tags and he …well he was so badly injured that they couldn't tell which one of you they were shipping back until they ran some tests here.

Craig stared at him. `I don't remember any of that, nothing, why didn't she tell me?

The doctor looked at him.

` Catherine didn't know which one of you was coming home until you actually arrived here, and she hasn't left your side since. She hasn't had time to grieve Lt. she is so intent on helping you that she is not grieving for David and that is not a good thing if you can you need to help her do that , you need to grieve together you both loved him you know.`

`That's just the point doc ,I don't know , how do I grieve for someone that I don't even remember?

`Well then encourage her to talk about him be there for her ,because I promise you Lt . there will come a time when she will need you , just to hold her , tell her that you will be there for her. Never let her feel alone Lt. please, I know it will be hard for both of you , especially when your memory returns and you realize that you are hurting too. But please , help her all you can, she loves you very much, and you are all the family she has left now.`

Craig looked at him ,`I don't know what I can do to help her doc , but I promise to try,

`That's all I can ask Lt, call me if either of you need anything , Now lets get you tidied up a little and washed and shaved shall we?, at least then you'll look a little more respectable , and I'm sure you'll feel better for it.`

Craig didn't argue , he just did whatever he was told , and hoped that it would not be too long before she came back .

He was lying with his eyes closed when he sensed her presence , she stood next to his bed and he could feel her looking at him. He opened his eyes and found her staring at him. She jumped a little ,

`Sorry , didn't mean to startle you `, he said. He pulled himself up and got out of the bed and went to sit in the chair they had put by the window for him.

`Thought you were asleep , I was trying not to wake you, didn't do a very good job did I? she told him. She sat in the chair next to his,

`Are you sure that it's all right for you to be out of bed so soon? You feeling ok? she asked him.

`Doc says so long as I take it easy it'll be all right , but if I start to feel dizzy it's straight back to bed`.

`You always were the stubborn one , never could stay still long when you started to feel better .`she gave him a sad smile.

`Why didn't you tell me about David? about him being there with me and saving my life.

`Who told you ? She asked, and sighed .

I thought it would be better kept until later when you remembered him a little more, I'm sorry , you shouldn't have heard it from someone else I should have been the one to tell you.`

`I am the one who should be sorry `, he said,` It must have been so hard for you to see me come home and not him , I wish things could have been different for you , I wish it could have been him that came back instead of me , at least then you would have been able to keep your family together`. He said

She felt the tears start to flow and couldn't stop them, he took hold of her hand and tried to pull her towards him,

`Don't , please don't , `she said as she stood up and pulled away from him.

He walked up behind her ,`If there is ever anything that I can do for you please tell me `, he said, `God I wish I could remember ! He said angrily.

I wish I knew what to do to help you , but I don't remember you or him , my own brother and I don't remember , can't even grieve for him , just have to stand here and know that all the pain you feel is because of me.

He sat back down in the chair and put his head in his hands, `Maybe it would be better if you left,` he said `It would be easier if you didn't have to look at me , all I am doing is hurting you. You should just go.`

He stood up and looked out of the window, keeping his back to her.

Neither one of them said anything ,

She turned and looked at him , his head was down and there were tears rolling down his cheeks , tears for a brother he did not know, and she knew then that she could not leave him,

`It hurts so much`, she said in between sobs , `So very much , I don't think I can go on without him , `

As the sobs engulfed her he walked quickly to her and, wrapped her in his arms and she held on to him , all the grief that she had kept hidden away to try and help him rose to the surface ,and she cried for the love she had lost

`It will get better I promise , I will be there for you as long as you want me , need me , we will get through this together , we have to for Sarah's sake ,

`I know , she said , Oh Craig , I need you so much , you are all that I have left. And I love you , you may not remember but you have always been a part of our family, and believe me , losing you would have hurt just as much as losing David , I am so grateful that at least I have one of you home.`

She held him tightly ,`I love you Craig , never forget that , you are my brother and I love you `.

He kissed the top of her head and walked her to the chair , sat her down and then sat opposite her.

There were tears in his eyes as he looked at her and said

`I wish I could tell you that I feel the same , but I look at you and there is just nothing , but I promise you I will be there whenever you need me , no matter what ,and I pray that one day I will be able to look at you and know how much I love you .We will get through this , I promise together we will survive.

There was a knock at the door and they both looked as the doctor arrived with a tray of tea. He smiled at them both,

`Thought the two of you might need this, a remedy for all that ails you , a cup of hot sweet tea.`

She smiled at him , `Thanks Doc, much appreciated`

`If you need anything , either of you, all you need to do is ask. `he said

`Thanks `, said Craig , I'll remember that .

`Right 'I have rounds to do , I will see you both later , you take care now ok.

`Thanks again Doc `, Craig said and turned to her and smiled ,

`How's about I be mum then , that be all right ?

She smiled at him ,`That would be just fine Craig , just fine.`

They decided that he could go home the next day so long as he stayed with Catherine and took things easy. He was a little wary of going to the cottage but she told him that's where he should be right now and he was learning it was better not to argue with her. Sarah had been sent to stay with her best friend Timmy for a few days to allow Craig to settle in without having to try and explain to Sarah why he didn't remember her. They sat and talked a lot during those days , she showed him photo's of their family and then one day he remembered one thing , one small thing, and from then on in in bits and pieces his memory slowly started to return. It had taken almost three weeks for that first small piece to slot into place, weeks spent with Catherine and Sarah and he began to realize why he had loved this woman . She would spend the nights crying in her room, he could hear her , knowing that she grieved for David, but in the morning , he would never have known the sadness she was feeling until he looked into her eyes and could see the hurt and the loss that she felt but tried o hide.

He still had a months sick leave and she insisted that he stay with them even though he knew that looking at him hurt her so much, but he also knew he was getting better each day because of her .

He had been in London when his memory had returned , they had been to the hospital for his check up and had decided to have dinner before going home and then the air raid had started. Suddenly he was frozen to the spot ,not seeing the chaos around him just the guns that he had heard last in combat. He felt her pull him away and then he was sitting in a church ,in the corner , on the floor with her arms around him, holding him so tightly , telling him he was going to be all right , He could hear her calling his name but she seemed to be getting further and further away until he couldn't hear her any more and he slipped into unconsciousness.

He awoke with a start , shouting David's name, sitting up in bed shaking and feeling so afraid. She was at his side in an instant

He was not seeing her or the hospital walls ,she could see the terror ,as he relived the nightmare of the last battle ,she could see the fear and the pain on his face and knew she had to bring him back.

`Craig, ` she held his face in both her hands and made him look at her.

`Craig look at me , it's all right , Craig honey you need to breath ,you're safe now , you're in hospital , Craig honey it's all right,`

She pulled him into her arms and held him tightly and gradually the shaking stopped and he wrapped his arms round her , and she felt the anguish as the sobs started and he dealt with the memory of his brothers death , and the loss and grief that had hit him all at once

She held him until she felt him relax against her and then gently laid him back down on the bed He laid with his eyes closed for a while and she sat beside him holding his hand so he would know he wasn't alone, stroking his face and wiping away the tears . Gradually he regained control and opened his eyes.

`What happened ?` he asked `the last thing I remember was the air raid and us heading for the shelter` he said

`You froze, when the bombing started I managed to get you into the church and them you passed out on me ,I finally got you back to the hospital ,Doc says the noise of the raid was enough like the mortar attack you went through before you got hurt to send you into shock, says you should be alright now might even help with the memory loss but he can't promise anything .`she said

`I remember you , I remember everything except what happened when the mortar hit , don't remember David coming after me, everything before that is fine , I remember , Catherine I remember.

She smiled at him,

`Oh Craig I'm so glad , if that's the only memory you've lost then that's great,`

`When can I go home ?,he asked

`Just as soon as you can stand up, there's really nothing wrong with you that can't be dealt with at home, and the doc says he needs the bed, so you are free to leave.`

` Catherine can I come back to the cottage with you ?,I really don't want to go back to being alone , not for a while yet, please`,

She looked at him ,

`Craig Garrison if you think for one minute you are getting out of my house before your sick leave is finished you have another think coming, you are my family , and whether you like it or not I am going to take care of you , do I make myself clear? she asked

He managed to smile at her ,`Why do you put yourself through this , why go to all this trouble for me , I'm not even you're real brother , why not just leave me to get on with things on my own, it would be so much easier for you , now wouldn't it ,` he asked her.

Sadly she looked at him, `Is that what you want me to do ?

`I was just thinking what would be easiest for you , that's all, I'm being so much trouble to you.`

I asked you if that was what you wanted , do you want to be left on your own, would you be better if we weren't here? Tell me truthfully, is that what you want?

`No` he said quietly `Truthfully what I really want is to stay with you , I want that more than anything , I don't want to feel alone again . You let me into your life because of David , and I grew to love you and think of you as my family , and I don't want to lose that now , it's far to special to me.`.

`Then that 's settled then ,and just so you know you are our family now too and we love you , and our lives would be empty without you , so this is your last chance to leave , a one time offer , because if you decide to stay than it's for good, no more talk about you managing on your own , or staying away , so make your choice, go, or stay and get stuck with the two of us for the rest of your life , you choose` she said.

He smiled at her ,`I would very much like to stay , and if it's all right I would like to get dressed and go home now.` he said

`She bent down and kissed his forehead, I'll get your clothes little brother,` she said smiling, `Don't go away, and don't ever forget again that you are family, my family , screwed up as you obviously are some times , I will always love you , ok?`

He held her hand. `Thank you , for everything, and I love you too, both of you. Now where are those clothes you promised me?

`Well if you behave I'll get them for you ,` she said laughing

`Well if you don't I swear I'll walk out of here as I am, and don't think for one minute I won't do it, anything's better than just lying here.

Catherine turned round and stopped, `Well go on then , might just be worth seeing. ` she said

`He started to pull the bed clothes back and swung his legs over the side of the bed,

`Oh enough , you just stop right there I'll be back in two minutes .` and she turned and walked away

`He laid back on the bed , it was good to feel loved ,good not to feel alone , she was his family now and he was going to be there for her as long as they needed him, and in that thought he found peace.

He spent the last two weeks of his sick leave with Catherine at the cottage and felt better every day. When he finally did get orders through for his new assignment it was a shock to both of them to learn he was to be shipped back to the States . The Army , he felt , had finally lost it. He was to go to every prison he could find , and go through countless files to find convicts to work for the Army, teach them to be soldiers ,and use the same skills that put them in prison to fight the Germans, he had to find men that could steal, kill and con their way through Germany without putting a bullet in his back the minute he wasn't watching them It was a crazy idea , but the more he thought about it , the more he thought that with the right cons , it just might work , He was given a date to leave and they decided that it should be a special day for Sarah and that she should choose what she wanted them to do for their last day together. She chose a picnic and so duly loaded down with blankets and food baskets they set off to the park .Sarah laughed and screamed as the swung her between them and when they finally sat down to eat she was nearly asleep.

`I think we are going to have to call it a day `Angel said , `My daughter is just about ready to drop,

Craig laughed, `Well I just want to go down to the store and get a few things , so I'll meet you back home if that's ok ? Maybe we can just have supper and sit and talk tonight if that's ok with you? he asked her

`I'd like that a lot`, she said

As he started to leave a small hand gripped his , and Sarah turned and looked at her

`Is it all right if I take her with me ?` He asked .

She smiled at them `Didn't doubt for one second it would be any other way`, she said and she watched them walk away hand in hand. She packed away the things and headed back to the cottage , thinking she would just have time for a cup of tea before they both got home and the chaos began again. She knew that Craig would put Sarah to bed tonight and sit and read to her until she fell asleep , she knew that he needed this last night with her before he left ,and then they would have supper together and spend the rest of the evening just sitting and relaxing , making the most of their last evening together .She knew that they would say goodbye tonight , that tomorrow when she got up he would be gone, It was what he wanted and she would let him say goodbye the easiest way he knew how, Then she would sit and wait for the phone call telling her that he had got back safely. She knew then that she would miss him almost as much as she missed having David in her life, and there was a sudden realization of how important he had become to her. She hoped that it would not be too long before they were together again , for there would be a space in her life that no one else could fill. He truly had become her family.

The knock on the door broke into her thoughts. She walked towards it and suddenly knew in her heart that something had happened.

She saw the policeman standing there and the car behind him and knew she had been right.

`Mrs Garrison? He asked

She looked at him and did not answer. `Ma'am I'm afraid there's been an accident in the village . We need you to come with us, Lt Garrison and your daughter have been taken to the hospital and I've been sent to take you to them , he said

She finally managed to focus in him, `How bad? She asked.

`Don't know the details , just that they need you at the hospital, now let me help you with your coat and then we can get started , all right? He asked her.

She nodded and let him take the lead and help her , suddenly unable to sort out anything by herself. He took her arm and led her to the car , and in that instant she knew that one of them was dead. She could see the sorrow in his eyes and knew .She had felt the same when they had told her that one of the brothers was dead , but that they couldn't tell her which one , she had known then that it was David, just as she knew in her heart now that Sarah was gone .

They were waiting for her at the hospital, and she knew the moment she saw Peter that she had been right .

`Catherine, I'm so sorry , there was nothing we could do for her , she was already gone when she got to me, ` he said

`Tell me , tell me what happened? She said

`There was a drunk driver , came round the corner too fast and skidded into the store window. He hit Craig and knocked Sarah from his arms, she was trapped under the jeep , they couldn't stop the bleeding, Oh Catherine I'm so sorry, there was nothing anyone could do to save her`, he said

She looked at him . `Where is she? I need to see her , tell me . She cried.

`I don't think that's a good idea right now , maybe later `.he told her

She hurled herself at Peter ,

`What have you done with her , let me see her , she's my daughter , let me see her now.`. She cried hysterically.

She punched at him, tried to get past him .

He held her and nodded to the nurse and as she stepped forward with the syringe and injected Catherine, she felt the world and the pain slipping away from her as she slumped into his arms .

`What do we do know Dr? she asked

`I'll get her settled in one of the side rooms for now, you go and see Lt . Garrison and sedate him to if you have to, I need to deal with one of them at a time and right now she is more important, ` he said.

He picked Catherine up and carried her to the bed, wondering what he was going to be able to do to help her, he had the awful feeling that things were going to get a lot worse in the next few days , for all of them.

Craig had seen Catherine being brought into the hospital and had seen Peter take her into one of the rooms. He knew that they were going to tell her about Sarah and he tried to get out of bed to go to her. She would need him now. The effort however proved to much and he fell back onto the pillow. He heard the screams as she yelled at Peter and then the silence. , He saw Peter carry her into one of the empty rooms near his , and then the nurse leave the room and head towards him .He was trying to get out of bed when she reached him, but the dizziness overwhelmed him yet again.

`I need to see her `, he said

`Mrs Garrison has been sedated Lt. you can't do anything for her just now, it would be best if you got some rest,` she said

`I need to see the doctor then `, he said

`I'm sure the doctor will see you as soon as he can, now you lay down please. You were a very lucky young man , you got away with a concussion, and a few cuts and bruises, it could have been a lot worse.` she said

`What are you talking about? He asked he roughly. Tell me how things could be worse? My niece is dead , how much worse do you think it could get for me? He asked angrily

`I'm sorry `, she said, `That's not what I meant, it's just that your injuries could have been so much worse`.

`Just let me go to her `, he said and tried to get out of the bed again.

But once again lost to the dizziness.

`The nurse held his arm and injected the sedative before he had time to argue

`No`, he screamed` I need to stay awake, she'll need me, ` he said

Despite his best efforts he knew he was losing the battle , and as he drifted deeper and deeper into sleep he hoped that when he woke up the nightmare would be over.

The nurse watched him and brushed the hair back from his face. He opened his eyes briefly and said simply `Sarah`. And then drifted into oblivion.

`When he woke he saw her standing at the foot of his bed. `Catherine`, he said, `I'm so sorry , I couldn't save her . I'm so sorry . `he looked at her with tears in his eyes and was horrified at what he saw.

He had never seen such a look of hatred in anyone's eyes before .

`You let her die`, she spat at him `You promised to keep her safe and you let her die ,` she said hysterically.

`Catherine please`, he begged

`I never want to see you again ,` she screamed at him `never`,

`I hope that you rot in hell for what you did, You killed her . Just as if you'd put a bullet in her head , you killed her and I will never forgive you , I wish you'd never come back , I wish it had been you instead of her , you took David from me and now her , you killed her too, `, she stopped for breath

`Catherine please`, he said

`I hate you , she screamed` I hate you, you bastard , you let her die'`

Peter rushed into the room just in time to keep her from attacking Craig

He held her and took her sobbing out of the room .

Craig looked away, she was right , it was his fault, he should have been able too save Sarah, she was right to blame him , he had killed her daughter . Maybe she would get what she wanted , taking convicts to Germany and hoping that they wouldn't shoot him the first chance they got was a tall order, and at this moment he was hoping that they would do just that. He knew it was the only way he would rid himself of the guilt he was feeling. He had lost everything, not just Sarah , but Catherine too, for he knew she would never forgive him, He had lost the one person that had really cared whether he lived or died , and now he knew he was alone. Everything that mattered to him had gone, and understood then how much he needed the love she had given him. The tears began to flow again, and this time not just for Sarah, but for the family that he would never have again. Maybe going back to the States was the best thing he could do for her now. Give her time to grieve without him reminding her everyday of what she had lost, what he had taken from her. It wasn't as if he had any choice, he had to go where the army sent him, do what they ordered him to do .All he could do was work the cons hard and hope that this would be enough to get him through the grief, hope that the work would fill some of the void that going away from her would leave inside him . Hope that some day if he could stay alive long enough she would find it in her heart to forgive him.

Peter found that Catherine had no other family but Craig and hearing his name brought on the hysteria again, so all he could do was keep them apart. He blamed himself for her outburst , as he had not realized she was awake, and he knew that the last thing the Lt. needed was to be blamed for something that he already felt responsible for. She was shaking with emotion when he took her back to her room ,and he had sedated her again until he decided what was best too do. He definitely couldn't send her home alone, and with no-one to take care of her he didn't think much of her chances of survival. He knew that she was falling into a deep depression and as far as she was concerned she had lost all that mattered in her life.

He knew he should put her in a hospital that would take care of her needs , but, some how it just didn't seem to be the right thing to do. He felt she needed more , but he didn't quite know what to do for the best. She needed someone to take special care of her, and at that moment he had no idea who that person was.

He was doing his rounds later that morning when he remembered Mary. She was visiting the soldiers who had no family in England , and were glad of some one to spend time with them. She had lost two sons to the war and the hospital visits had helped not only the soldiers but her too. It had given her a purpose in her life and had helped her through the grief she had felt. She was one of the few people in the hospital that called him Peter, she said that she was old enough to be his mother anyway and doctor sounded so formal when they weren't in the wards dealing with the patients. He had smiled at that and he had found that Mary was one of the most trustworthy people he had ever met. He had talked to her about patients problems sometimes and her clear thinking had most times come up a solution that hadn't occurred to him , but as an afterthought seemed so simple, so it seemed totally reasonable to talk to her about Catherine and Craig Garrison and the problem he had.

He found her in one of the wards,

`Mary `, he called, `Need to talk to you if you can spare a minute`, he said

Mary smiled ,` For you Doc I'll make time.` she said

He led her into his office, poured the coffee and gestured for her to sit down.

`I have a big problem Mary, and to be honest I don't know what to do for the best.

He told her about Catherine and the outburst earlier that morning.

`I need to get her away from the hospital , but I need someone to take care of her , She has lost a husband a daughter in the space of three months and if we're not careful I think we may lose her too. As far as she is concerned she has nothing in the world left to live for. So if you have any ideas I'll be only too glad to hear them,` he said.

`The solution is obvious`, she told him, `I 'll take her home with me. I know how she feels , how much it hurts to lose a child , and I think that is something she needs right now ,

`Do you know what you're taking on? He asked, `This is not going to be easy , you do know that? He asked her

`Do you really think that sending her to a hospital that will give her drugs to keep her quiet is the answer `, she asked, ``Because I don't.

She needs help now , and I think I can give her that help, At least let me try Peter , you can always resort to the hospital if she doesn't improve , now can't you? She asked

`I'll tell you what `, he said, `Try for a week I'll come every day to check up on her and we'll see how things work out, ok? he asked

`Right you are`, she said `Now where is she , and I'll go and meet her and tell her what's happening , ` she said

`I'll show you`, he said ,`and Mary thank you, I really think you're the only hope she's got.

`Well we'll soon find out won't we? She asked him . And he led the way to Catherine's room.

Mary took her home that afternoon, put her to bed and let her sleep until the nightmares woke her, and then sat on the edge of the bed and held her, rocking her gently.

`I know you don't believe me now, but it will get better with time`, she said gently. `I know it hurts, rips out your heart, just take it a day at a time , I'll be here whenever you need me, and believe me I do understand, lost two sons, thought the world had ended. ` she said

Catherine said nothing, just sat and let Mary hold her. Bill looked in the room and asked

`You all right love? You need anything?

Mary smiled sadly at him, and shook her head.

`No , we're doing fine , we just need to sit for a while dear that's all, you remember how it was, don't you? She asked her husband.

He nodded , `Only to well`, he said ,` call if you need anything for her , I'll stay in the house until you're sure she's all right ,` he said.

`Thank you dear`, she said and watched leave , never letting go of Catherine.

Suddenly and without warning the tears began to flow, quickly turning into uncontrollable sobs. Mary held her tighter ,

`That's it love , you cry for them, it's what you need right now, You can start to heal then,` she said quietly Mary rocked her gently and gradually Catherine's arms wrapped round her and she held her as if she was afraid to let go.

`That's right love , you hold on to me, tight as you like, I'll be her as long as you need me`, she said

As the sobs eventually subsided , she felt Catherine get heavier in her arms as exhaustion finally overtook her. Bill walked quietly over to them.

`Here love let me take her , you've done enough for now`, he said as he gently laid Catherine back on the bed.

He turned and saw tears in Mary's eyes,

`Now now what's this for? He asked as he handed her his handkerchief.

`I was just thinking, she's lost everything, how do we make her want to live ? We've nothing to offer her , I at least had you `, she said hugging him

`We stay with her ,teach her that she's not the only one alone because of this war, be there when she needs us , she has to do the rest herself, and if she doesn't , then there is nothing we can do about that, Now come on let's you and me have a nice cup of tea, and let her sleep, shall we? He asked , and taking his wife by the arm gently led her from the room.

Mary sat with Catherine two days later fearing the subject she had to broach with her

`Catherine love, have you had any thought about Sarah's funeral, ? She asked gently.

Catherine looked at her and answered more calmly than Mary liked .

`I'll bury her with David , they should be together , don't you think? She asked

`I think that's a good idea love , shall I make the arrangements for you? Would that be all right ? She asked her,

`Whatever you think is best `. She said

`Right then, and I'll contact the Lt. and tell him the details`. she said.

Catherine reacted with more anger than Mary had seen in a long time.

`Don't you tell that murdering bastard anything, he has no right to be anywhere near my daughter , don't you tell him, you hear, don't you dare let him near her .`she cried hysterically

`All right dear, if that's what you want`. She said

She handed Catherine one of the sedatives Peter had left for her , `Now take this and we'll talk no more about him ok? She asked.

She dutifully swallowed the pill and Mary led her back to the bedroom and tucked her into bed,

`Now you get some rest, there's a good girl `. She sat with her until she was asleep and then went to find Bill in the kitchen.

`What was that all about? he asked

`I mentioned telling her Lt. about the funeral, she went crazy, ` she said `Think I'll go and see him at the hospital, ask him to stay away , would probably be better for all concerned. You be all right taking care of her for a while ?

`If you've given her one of those knock out drops Peter gave you for her she'll likely still be sleeping when you get back , but I'll stay just in case ok?

Mary kissed him , `Don't know what I'd do without you`, she said

`Love you too sweetheart`, he replied ,`Now go , get things sorted out, all right .

She kissed him once again before heading out to the hospital to find the monster that Catherine felt responsible for her daughter's death


	2. Chapter 2

As she entered the room he did not look up, he was so lost in his own thoughts, `Hello`, she said , `My name's Mary I'd like to talk too you for a while if that's all right? She asked him.

`Rather be on my own thanks`, came the reply.

`I'm sorry Lt. but this is important, there are things we need to talk about, concerning Catherine`. She said,

Immediately his attitude changed , `Do you know where she is? Please tell me she's all right, they won't let me see her , I need to explain, need to try to make her understand there was nothing I could do, `

He stopped talking suddenly as his emotions came to the surface and he tried to regain control .

Suddenly Mary knew. This was not the monster that Catherine saw when she talked about him. This was a man concerned for her well being, and who was grieving for a child that he had so obviously adored just as Catherine had, and unless she was mistaken blaming himself for the death of that child.

`Catherine is staying with me for now, she was in no state to go home alone , and we couldn't find any more family to take care of her`. She said.

`There's just the two of us now, but she despises me, as she has every right too, I let Sarah die, it's all my fault, ` he said sadly.

`No it's not`, she said firmly,` It was a tragic accident that you had no control over , you were hurt too don't forget, there was nothing you could have done to change the outcome , no matter how much you blame yourself , or how much Catherine blames you and someday she will realise that but for now the grief she feels is clouding her judgement just as it's clouding yours. You did not do anything wrong and you have to start believing that`, she told him.

Tears started to roll down his cheeks,

`I wish I could believe you , but I know she will never forgive me`, he said.

Mary took his hand in hers, `I know it's hard , but you must try and be patient with her, trust me , one day she will understand , and she will realize she still loves you and needs you , please just give her time,` she said.

`You didn't see her , she hates me , she'll never forgive me , she told me as much and she meant every word , after the funeral I'm leaving , it will be the best thing I can do for her , just stay out of her life, stay as far away from her as I can so I don't remind her of the hurt I caused her`, he said.

Mary held his hand tighter ,`I'm so sorry Craig but she doesn't want you to come to the funeral, and I think it might be best if this time you did what she wanted. She is going to fall apart and I think you being there would only make things worse, Please try to understand`, she asked him.

He wiped the tears away and looked at her, and knew that he could trust her to do what was best for Catherine.

`I'll stay away`, he said sadly,` If you think it's what I should do.

`I do. She said,` Give her a chance to heal a little before you see her, and give yourself time too, learn to forgive yourself for something you really are not responsible for , if you don't you won't be able to move on with your life , and if you can't move on things will never get better for either of you`, she said

`I don't know whether I can`, he said

`Look, I'll give you my address and you can write to me once you get settled and I'll let you know how she's getting on , then maybe you won't feel so out of touch, would that be all right ? She asked,` And it might just make you feel less alone, having a friend to talk to, and I think you need a friend right now , whether you know it or not `, she said.

`I think I would like that too`, he said quietly. `Would you do something for me? he asked her.

`If I can dear`, she said

`Would you at least make sure that there are some flowers there , from me, at least then I'll feel that a part of me is there`, he said

`I'll do that for you, and thank you , I know how hard it is for you to stay away, but it really is the best thing for her right now`, she said,

As his tears began in earnest he did not try to hide them from her .

She held him as she would have held her own sons and for the first time since Sarah's death he did not feel entirely alone. He did not know how much time went by , he only knew that he felt safe, and as the sobs subsided he felt her lower him onto the pillow , and then hold his hand until he fell asleep. Mary looked at this young man and knew he needed her as much as Catherine did. She left him her address and a note telling him to write to her and to take care of himself, and most of all to try and forgive himself, and come back safely .

Four months had passed since he had left the hospital and gone back to the States . He had found his cons and trained them into a team that he had started to be proud of. They had been posted back to England, to a large mansion that the army had been given for the duration of the war. It was only two hours away from London by car, and only a few miles from where Mary lived. As he had promised had kept in touch with her and she had kept him informed of Catherine's progress. She told him she was improving but showed no signs of wanting to go home yet, but then that had been a few weeks ago , so he didn't know whether she was still with Mary, but he was near enough now to find out in person. He hadn't realised that Mary had lived so close to them , just in the next village in fact. She told him she had gone to the cottage and packed away all of Sarah's things and put them in the attic for them to go through when they both felt she was strong enough. She had arranged for some-one to come in and clean it so that when Catherine felt ready she could move back in straight away without having to worry about it. Mary and Bill had started to take Catherine out for walks and gradually they had taken her nearer and nearer too the cottage until one day she had decided to go inside

`It's so quiet`, she said `I keep expecting her to run in from the garden like she used too`.

Tears started to flow, `How am I supposed to live here again? How do I stay knowing that things will never be the same again? She asked Mary.

`It will be hard dear, but one day you will decide that it is time for you to come home, you'll know that it will be all right , and that you can live with the memories, with out all of the pain you are feeling right now, trust me I do know how you feel`. She said.

Catherine nodded, `I Suppose you're right it just doesn't seem like that right now`, she said

`I know , and until you feel that you are ready you can stay with us for as long as you want to , you know that, You'll know when you're really ready to come home`, she said.

Catherine hugged her, `Thank you, I don't know what I would have done without the two of you , you saved my life you know, I could never have got through this alone`, she told her

`We were only to glad to help, you know that, and you're not alone you know , you've got us , and Craig too , you know`, she added.

Catherine turned away, `I think I'd like to go back now, all right? She asked.

Mary sighed, `I wish you'd talk to him Catherine, it would do you both a lot of good you know`, she said

`Catherine shook her head`, I can't face him , not yet, maybe someday, but not yet `, and turning away she headed for the door.

Craig had been back to the cottage once but had found it empty and had decided that it might be better if he stayed away. The cons were keeping him busy , but at least they were starting to work as a team now. Learning to trust each other had not been easy for them., but now at least they relied on each other and managed to get each other into trouble and out of it again with relative had been called to get them out of jail more than once , mainly for brawling in the pub, but the damage they caused wasn't usually too bad and was always paid for, so the locals put up with them and they charmed their way into their lives until they were liked by most of them and tolerated by the rest. To his surprise he found that he too was beginning to like them and to trust and depend on them, something that he would not have thought possible a few months ago. They still had their moments when the con in them would take over and he would find that they had gone off to do a job on their own instead of staying where he had left them. They had no qualms at all about stealing from the Germans, so he let them get away with more than he would normally allowed ,but the missions they were sent on were far more frequent and dangerous than any normal soldier would be sent on, for as far as the army were concerned they wereexpendable. On their last mission they had risked their lives to save him when he had been shot, they had brought him to the rendezvous point when they could just as easily left him and escaped across the border and never been found. They had brought him home., and now with only a few days of sick leave left he found himself sitting by the waters edge remembering happier had learnt to put his feelings aside when he was working , concentrating on the job ahead trying to make sure that they all came back alive. He had given them a weekends leave in London as a show of trust, and so far he hadn't been called to bail them out of trouble. Time enough next week to get them working again , the Sgt Major would see to that, and to make sure that he didn't do too much his first week back. He looked at his watch and discovered that he had beendaydreaming and would be late for his pick up in the village . He had been walking for most of the afternoon and sitting for over an hour. He was supposed to be picked up at five o'clock and would have to hurry if he was to be on time. As he rounded the corner of the village street his heart lurched as he remembered the horrors of the last time he had walked down this road. Memories flooded back and he was only brought back to reality by the sound of a car horn as he stepped into the road without looking. He picked up his pace and crossedthe road but stopped in his tracks as he reached the other side. Coming out of the small café just ahead of him was Catherine . She was deep in conversation with the man at her side. He wondered if he should call her name in the hope that she would turn and look at him, smile at him, forgive him, but before he could do anything his driver pulled up and asked if he was ready to go back tothe mansion. He thought about going after her but he couldn't say anything to her when she was with someone . He didn't want to cause her more pain , he thought about going to the cottage but it didn't seem to be the right thing to do , to just arrive on her doorstep unannounced. Maybe he could drop her a note asking her if she would see him. There was always the chance that she would sayyes. But as he sat in his office later that evening he realised that hecouldn't intrude into her life again . He couldn't bear to find out that she still hated him. He didn't have the right to bring her any more pain than he had already. She had been smiling when he had seen her , better for her if he stayed out of her life, better to let her start a new life without him being a constant reminder of all that she had lost. If she could be happy without him then he owed her that much. Yes better for him to stay away ,her happiness was all that was important to him now . The hurt and the loss he still felt was his to dealwith alone, he didn't deserve to have her back in his life. Even though it was the one thing that he wanted most he couldn't do it , he tore up the letter he had being trying to write to her and decided that he wouldn't try to contact her again. That he would try to get on with his life and hope that she would find someone to make her happy again It was the hardest decision he had ever had to make and it was the he knew beyond any doubt how much loved her.


	3. Chapter 3

**It had been over two months since Sarah had died . Months with moreheartache and pain than she could ever have imagined. For the first few weeks with Mary she had not known or cared what happened too her . Mary had let her grieve as she knew she needed too knowing that the pain would ease but never completely go away and all she had to do was get Catherine through those first few agonizing weeks.**

**She had let Catherine sit in silence for hours at a time ,deep in her memories , she had held her like a child when the pain was too muchand the tears once started were unstoppable. and had sat with her when the nightmares had started and she had woken up screaming not realizing that it was Craig's name she was calling. She had been so sure that she would not want to do anything again but Mary had been right and gradually she had started to take an interest in things going on around her. She did not know that Mary had kept in contact with Craig . She never asked about him and Mary thought it best not tomention him until she did. Mary felt for them both , they needed each other so much, and she hoped that they wouldn't leave it too long before one of them realized just how much they were both hurting and how much easier it would be for both of them if they could only grieve together for the family they had lostDr. Peter Roberts was as good as his word and came to check on her as often as he could. He had seen more than his fair share of the horrors of war and having been invalided out of the army now worked full time at the hospital. Catherine had taken to him and trusted him , she seemed glad to talk to him when she could talk to no-one else . He helped her let go of some of the hate she had felt for Craig, made her understand how lucky he had been to have survived the accident. Helped her to see how devastating it must have been for him to watch Sarah die and not be able to do anything to save her. She realized how guilty he must have felt and she knew that he would have given his life to save Sarah if he could have. he had loved her so much. She realized that she had said some unforgivable things to him and hurt him so much, not even caring if he was dead or alive . She had left him to grieve alone for the little girl they had both loved so much .She would give anything to take back the things she had done and said but that was impossible and maybe she had hurt him so much that he would never be able to forgive her . She hoped that he had found someone to take care of him as Mary and Peter had done for her but she doubted that he would let anyone that close too him. She knew Craig so well and knew that he would deal with his pain had a sudden longing to find him and ask his forgiveness, try to make a new start just the two of them, but she knew she couldn't do that. She would stay away and not hurt him again by coming back into his life .That much at least she owed him .**

**She had started to help at the hospital with Mary. She had wanted something to do and Peter said he was always in need of people to keep an eye on some of the patients so that the nurses would be free for other jobs where specialist treatment was needed. So she sat with the soldiers and played cards with them , anything to relieve the boredom when they started to feel better and wanted to go home. She sat with the dying so that they would not be alone ,especiallythose whose families were to far away to be with them, stayed with them for as long as they needed her. She took to the job with a determination that surprised both Mary and Peter and there were times when Mary would go home and leave her only to find her in exactly the same place when she returned.**

**Peter was living in London near the hospital and said that he had spoken to his wife and she had agreed that Catherine could use their spare room whenever she wanted to take some time out and not go all the was to Mary's. when she wanted to rest for a few hours. No-matter how tired she was she would stay as long as anyone ofthe patients needed her , it was her way of paying back some of the help she had been given by both Peter and Mary and it was a job that she grew to love more each day .**

**She would always try to have a smile and not lose her patience withany of them no-matter how difficult they were, she knew that they were just afraid , and with that fear came the anger. As one lot of patients left and another came the word spread that if they wanted anything she was the one to talk too. When one soldier came in she sat with him and talked all night trying to keep him calm before the surgery he was due to have the following morning , she promised him that she would be the first one he saw when he woke up he said he believed her, and called her his guardian angel and the name was passed on by each group of soldiers to the next as they came into the ward. Soon they all knew her just as Angel and she had a feeling that the nickname was going to stick whether she liked it or not.**

**She had been at the hospital all day , and was just going home when she bumped into Peter. He looked more solemn than usual and she thought he must have had a tougher day than normal.**

**`You look tired `, she said, `Isn't it about time you headed home , it's getting late you know.`**

**He smiled at her . `I've been looking for you`, he said `Sit down a minute will you? There's something I need to tell you`, he said.**

**She did as he asked her, `What's wrong?**

**He looked at her and sighed. `I don't even know if this is the right thing to do, but Mary assures me that it is , so I'll trust her judgement`, he said.**

**`I've found that's usually the thing to do `, she said smiling.**

**`Catherine, they brought Craig in last night, he's been shot twice in the back`, he stopped and looked at her, `I don't think he's going to last the night, and I didn't know whether you'd want to sit with him or have me get someone else`, he asked her**

**There was silence, `Catherine are you all right ? he asked**

**`I never imagined him getting shot`, she said `is it really that bad?**

**`Its not the bullets that 's causing the problem, it's the infection that came with them`, his temperature is still going up, and nothing we do seems to be helping. `We're losing him , and there doesn't seem to be anything we can do to stop it.` he said. He just doesn't seem to want to fight anymore .**

**She looked at Peter. `Where is he ? She asked**

**`He smiled , `I was hoping that you would want to fight for him`, he said `Come with me`.**

**As she entered the room she saw him lying in the bed. He was flushed with fever and looked worse than she had ever seen him.**

**Her heart ached for him then as she realized that she might just get what she had wished for only a few weeks before, that by morning he could be dead. **

**She knew then that she couldn't lose him, not this way, not without telling him that she cared.**

**She turned to Peter, `I'll take care of him `, she said `just get me fans and alcohol and I'll stay with him as long as he needs me.` she said**

**Oh and Peter , tell Mary she was right , will you? this is where I should be,` she said.**

**She stayed with him all through the night and as the first rays of the sun started to light up the room , she smiled , at least that was one night he had survived , now all she had to do was get him through the day.**

**She kept the fans on him all day, and Peter came to check on him and give him the medication he needed, but still his temperature stayed higher than either one of them liked.**

**She had sponged him down and was sitting at his bedside when she took his hand in hers. She leant forward and stroked his face.**

**You can't leave me, not like this , I need you , I need to tell you so many things.` she said,` I should have been there for you , I let you down so badly, stay with me now , please , I love you so much, please fight to come home, don't give up, please , fight for the both of us,` she told him . She kissed his forehead and then, still holding his hand , lowered her head and dozed off to sleep.**

**For the next two days the routine was the same , keeping him cool and letting the medication do it's job were the only things they could do for him. At least they had kept him alive and gradually his temperature started to come down a little and they had a glimmer of hope that he would pull through after all. He was still delirious and drifted in and out of consciousness . Sometimes he thought he was still in Germany and other times he would call her name, and Sarah's, and she knew he was reliving the nightmare of her death. All the time she talked to him refusing to leave him for more than a few minutes, fearing that if she did she would lose him, She slept in a chair at his bedside and was growing closer to exhaustion every day, but still she would trust no one else to take care of him.**

**On the third day his men were allowed in to see him. They were not allowed to stay long but the nurse on duty told her when they arrived and she took the time to get something to eat, and to sleep for a while instinctively knowing that he would be safe with them. As soon as they left she would return to his room, never wanting him to be left on his own .As his temperature went down she knew that his chances of survival were increasing every day. He still had a long way to go and even now he didn't know that she was there with him . By the fourth day she was exhausted and when she was told that his men had arrived she went into Peters' office to the fold up bed that he kept there and was asleep as soon as her headtouched the pillow . It was there that Peter found her a few hours later. She hadn't returned to Craig's room after his men had left as she always did so he had started to look for her. Having found her he decided that he best thing for her was to leave her where she was and gave orders that she not be disturbed under any circumstances. Knowing that she would not want Craig to be left on his own and having finished his shift , he decided to stay with him until she woke up.**

**As sunlight started to light up the room Craig Garrison stirred for the first time in four long days, and turned to look at Peter,**

**`Hi Doc , How long have I been out? He asked.**

**Peter smiled ,`First lucid conversation we've had in over four days ,` he said.**

**`How am I doing then? He asked **

**`If you rest and do what I tell you I'll probably have you out of her in ten days, misbehave and I'll make it three weeks`. he said.**

**`In that case if it's all right with you I think I'll get some rest `,and with that he closed his eyes and was almost immediately asleep.**

**Peter thought it was now safe to leave him and decided to go and tell Angel that Craig was awake, he found her just outside the door.**

**`Why didn't you come in,` he asked `I m sure he would have been pleased to see you`. He said `All he really needs now is rest, and he should be fine`. He said**

**Tears of relief started to flow, and Peter gently took her arm and led her back to his office.**

**`You should get some rest too you know, he's not going to feel much like talking until tomorrow, and then you can spend as much time with him as you want, ` he told her.**

**Suddenly she was afraid. She wanted more than anything to see him ,but she was afraid that he would not be able to forgive her for all the hurt she had caused him . She needed to be stronger , needed more time to think of what she would say to him but now she was just too tired to think properly. She needed to rest and think ****.**

**`You're right she said , I think I will go home for a while, come back and see him in a couple of days` she said, She hoped by then she would have the courage to face him.**

**Two more days had passed and Craig was getting stronger with each day and more and more restless at having to stay in bed when he was feeling so much better. He was getting bored with nothing to do but read and talk to the occasional visitor , He was feeling strange too , he knew that his fever had been high but he had been so sure that he had seen Catherine. He was sure that she had been at his bedside and he had heard her voice telling him to fight, to stay alive. It had all seemed so real but when he had asked about her no-one seemed to know who he was talking about and told him that the only person that had stayed with him had been Angel. He had asked to see her , to thank her for all that she had done for him , but they told him that the doctor had ordered her to get some rest and that she had not been back to the hospital in the last few days , but they would let him know when she came in again. Craig decided that Catherine had onlybeen a dream , brought on by the fever ,only in his imagination, but how he had hoped it had been true , that he could open his eyes and she would be standing there having forgiven him for all the grief he had caused her. In reality he knew that it could never happened. How could he ever hope that she would ever want to see him again . He had thought often of asking Mary to arrange for him to see her but every time the thought of causing her more painful memoriesstopped him. It would be better for her if he stayed away , even if it was the last thing he wanted to do , it was the right thing to do She would be better without him in her life. It was getting late and he decided to try and get some sleep , anything to make the night go quicker , He hoped that tomorrow the doctor would let him go back to the mansion, it was what he needed , all he hadto do was to convince the doctor to think the same was careful not to wake him as she opened the door to his room. Peter had told her that he would probably let him go home tomorrow and she still had not had the courage to talk to him. She didn't know what to say to him , didn't know if anything could put things right between them, and she was afraid to try in case she was right. She felt the tears in her eyes and turned and walked awayhoping that one day that she would be strong enough to face him and ask him to forgive her. He was alive and for now that was all that mattered.**


	4. Chapter 4

When she had gone back to the hospital the next day he had been sent home. She had only come in to see Peter to tell him that she was going to take some time off to sort some things out in her life, She smiled as she remembered Mary telling her that one day she would feel like this , one day she would feel the need to go home and as usual Mary had been right . She knew that Peter would understand and give her as much time as she needed and as she hugged him and thanked him for all that he had done for her he told her he would call her in a few days to make sure that she was all right. She had the feeling that he had wanted to tell her something else but he said he would talk to her again soon and told her to take care. As she left the hospital she knew for certain that she was doing the right cottage was in good repair considering it had been empty for so long. It was also fairly clean but she spent the next few days cleaning it from top to bottom deciding that a fresh start should include the cottage too , Mary had been round every day to help her and to make sure that everything was all right but she felt fine and knew that now she was home to stay. When she answered the door later that week she was pleasantly surprised to see Peter, and as she made thema cup of coffee he told her that he had an idea that he wanted to run passed them said he had thought about this a lot and wondered if she would be willing to open her home to some of the wounded soldiers that were really not ill enough to stay in hospital but still needed a little help with dressings and meals , and needed a couple of days somewhere before they were sent home. It would be a sort of half way house and he hoped that between herself and Mary they would be able to give his idea a chance. It would save both of them having to travel toLondon and they could do just as much to help the patients from home making it easier for everyone. Both Mary and Catherine looked him in amazement . It was really a great idea but it would mean that she would have to re- arrange the cottage to make the downstairs more accessible for the patients . She already had a bathroom downstairs and could make two of the rooms into bedrooms and still have one room for them to sit and relax in together if they wanted would make one of the upstairs bedrooms into a sitting room for her so she could have quiet time to herself if she needed it . The more that they talked about it the more they got excited about the new job they were going to take on .The decided to give themselves a week to remake the cottage into a halfway house and would let him know when he could send them their first the next few weeks she and Mary were kept busy with a steady stream of soldiers needing a few days care before they were shipped home. They all seemed to appreciate a proper home to stay in while they waited and some one to take care of them until their transport was available. She hadn't realised how much she had missed having some-one to cook for and both of them enjoyed looking after the men they were sent. They told her it was great to have a proper hometo stay in instead of having to go stir crazy in hospital when they reallydidn't need to be there, and she was surprised how well everything was working out once they got a routine set up and laid down some ground rules. It was hard work sometimes but they both enjoyed it and felt that they were doing something useful and as the cottage was very rarely empty it helped her to settle in without feeling to alone . It seemed that Peters idea was working well for all concerned and soon other doctors were asking if she had space for their patients as well so the house was usually filled with noise and laughter and she new shehad found the thing she was meant to do with her life . Yes there were days when it was quiet too and she always missed Sarah , still expected her to come running into the room sometimes but that was normal ,and on those days a depression would set in that was hard for her to shake off, but there was usually some-one that needed something and so she had to get on with the job and found she hadn't to much time to dwell on feeling sorry for herself. And Mary was always there to keep an eye on her and tell her that all of her feelings were just part of the healing process. She knew she was getting better and her life was returning to some sort of normality she just hoped that Craig had found the same peace in his life as she had in cottage had been empty for two days and she was making the most of the peace and quiet . She had spent some time round with Mary and Bill and it was nice to be spoilt for the day as Mary would not let her do anything , telling her that she worked to hard and needed to rest sometimes. She said she as fine and enjoying her life and keeping busy was doing her good , but Mary said she could only go so long before she needed a rest otherwise she would need ahalfway house herself. So under protest she called Peter and arranged for a couple of days without any patients so she could sit and do nothing under Mary's watchful eye. But a day later Peter was calling asking if she could take one patient as it was an emergency . He told her that the young man was recovering from a bullet wound to the shoulder and as the rest of his team had been sent on a mission he had no one to keep an eye on him for the next few days , and he did not think it was a good idea to leave him to fend for himself and he was going crazy in hospital with nothing to do, and they were too busy with new casualties to keep him occupied. She said of course she would take him and heard Mary groan and threaten Peter with a fate worse than death next time she saw him for ruining her holiday . She heard Peter laugh and say he would make it up to them the next time they were both in London with a meal out on him, and Mary said she would keep him to his bargain.

When he arrived she saw he was a little different from the noisy bunch she had taken in lately. He was a young Indian , who did as she asked him without question but said little else to her . She left him alone and told him to call her if he needed anything. She came to find he was a pleasant young man who , very quiet and withdrawn , preferring his own company to hers and only coming out of his room at meal times when he ate very little compared to some of the boys she had fed , and then went back to his room to spend the evening alone. She felt that this solitude was not doing anything to help his recovery and decided she had better try and get him out of the house. As they finished supper one evening he turned to go back into his room as usual ,

`Would you like to take a walk this evening Chief, ? she asked` I would be grateful of the company`.

She had never seen anyone's face light up as his did at that moment.

`You mean it? He asked her

She nodded `Wouldn't ask if I didn't`, she said, `Why so surprised? It's not a prison you know , you can go out if you want to`.

`Was told to be on my best behaviour or they'd send me back to the hospital, thought it would be best just to stay out of your way and not be a bother, don't want to go back`, he said

She looked at him. `You can pretty much do as you please so long as you let me know where you're going `she said, ` mainly just so I know where to look if anything happened, I am after all responsible for your care`, she said.

He nodded , `Can do that `, he said smiling

`Right give me a minute to get ready and then we'll go , all right ? She asked

The smile she received told her he couldn't wait to get outside.

They walked for half an hour and then she decided that he had walked far enough for one day and they started for home. After that he was much more open and relaxed with her and they had their meals together and he would even ask if he could help prepare them and offered to help with the clearing up, but was more of a hindrance than a help so she told him just to keep her company . She found him in the garden the following day putting holes in her shed door with theknife he had strapped to his arm. She was a little nervous of this new activity and didn't know how much more her shed door would take before it fell to pieces so between the two of them they found a stronger piece of wood and made a dartboard of sorts for him to practice on. Being outside and having something to do wasmaking the world of difference to him and during the next few days he came out of his shell a lot and started to just sit in the garden and talk to her, seeming at last to be glad of her company. She knew that he was worried about the rest of his team , they had been gone for almost a week and he was eager for them to return, to know that they were all right . The relief showed on his face when the call came to say they were on the way back and he would be picked up in a couple of days. She would be sorry to see him go , he had started toconfide in her over the last few days and had even smiled a little sometimes. She told him that he was welcome to come back and see her anytime he wanted to and he promised that he would. It was a promise that Chief intended to keep.

Chief liked Angel. She had treated him just as she would any other soldier and it hadn't mattered to her that he was half Indian and a con. He found himself telling her things that he hadn't told anyone else , not even the warden. She had listened and not judged him , not condoning what he had done but accepting that it had been a kill or be killed situation that had put him in prison. When the witnesses had said it was him who had started the fight people had believedthe word of a white man against that of an Indian . They had talked for hours about his life on the reservation and about his mother and grandfather, and how an army Lt. had given him a second chance at a new life if he survived the war. As he said his good byes he knew that he would visit her again .There was only one other person he had learnt to trust in so short a time and that was the warden, and although he could talk to him it would be good to have someone away from the mansion to talk too . It still felt strange to him to have someone who actually wanted to spend time with him , wanted to know about thethings happening in his life every day, it gave him a feeling of being wanted and that was something he hadn't felt in a very long time. He decided to visit Angel very soon and if she ever needed anything he was going to be there for her, all she had to do was ask.

Chief was as good as his word and any leave he was given always included a stay at Angels, sometimes she would have soldiers there recuperating or waiting to go home but she always made him feel welcome and set aside time for him in the afternoon when the others were resting, time for the two of them to talk about anything he wanted too. He told her about his life in the States and how he ranfrom the reservation , and the gangs he joined to try to fit in and stay alive, until he finally got into enough trouble to send him to prison. He told her about the times he had tried to escape only to be caught and punished , beaten and thrown into solitary confinement . It felt good to finally be able to talk about his past, knowing that whatever he told her would make no difference to the way she treated him , that she would always be his friend, and not judge him. It was a release for him to tell her the things that no-one else knew, knowing that as she had given her word not to tell another soul what they talked about that his secrets were safe with her. After spending the day with her he would hug her and thank her for their time together and then go to join the others for the rest of his leave promising to come back and see her was a true friend, his best friend and one that he didn't want to share with the others yet. When he told her about the other three cons that he worked with she said he was more than welcome to bring them to the cottage the next time he came, he just smiled and said he would think about it. He doubted he would just yet she was a secret that he wanted to keep for himself for a little while longer.

He had been visiting her for a few months now and the warmth of late August had turned into the cold of December . They had a routine now of him just turning up at the cottage whenever he wanted to and spending the day with her , sometimes going for walks and other times just helping with the chores that needed doing that she couldn't manage on her own. Making sure that there was enough wood for the fire to last from one visit to the next., and that she didn't have to worry about anything until his next visit. They were times he looked forward to and if anyone wondered where he disappeared to they neverasked did not celebrate Christmas but for Goniff and Casino things were totally different. They were going all out to spruce up the mansion as best they could. They had begged , borrowed or stolen candles from anyone they could and the baubles and tinsel were waiting in a box ready to decorate the Christmas tree that they were still trying to get the warden to let them have, unsuccessfully so far but Goniff was sure that they were wearing him down.. Chief had offered to help just to shut them up and had gone to collect greenery from the woods tohelp brighten up the place . They were surprised to find that Goniff had been right and the warden had given in and a six foot tree had been delivered and so the decorating began in earnest with even Actor helping when needed . They had been told that there would be no missions over Christmas so with the tree decorated and the presents wrapped Christmas began at the went to see Angel and took her some of the holly he had collected to decorate her home. She thanked him but she said she was going to spend Christmas alone this year for the first time so she really didn't feel like celebrating and it would be better if she kept busy so she was going to work at the hospital to give someone else a chance to spend time with their family. Chief was stunned. He hadn't realized that she would be alone . While she had listened to him talking about his past she had not told him anything about hers. He had assumed that he husband was fighting somewhere like so many others. He lowered his head , feeling embarrassed for not asking her about her life and just talking about himself . She said it was ok that she had enjoyed learning more about him and that it had kept her from dwelling too much on herself and the loneliness she felt sometimes., knowing that he was there if she needed him had meant a great deal to her . She told him not to worry about her ,that she would be fine . She said he was to go back to the mansion and have a really good Christmas with his friends and that she would be just fine and wouldsee him in the New Year, when she got back home. As he walked down the road he could not shake the feeling that something was wrong . He didn't know what it was but there was definitely something gnawing at him and he just couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed something vitally that something was wrong. he was deep in thought when the Warden walked passed.

`Hi Chief `, he said

Craig stopped , there had been no reply .

`Hi Chief , you ok? He asked.

Chief looked up `Oh hi Warden , didn't see you there`, he said

Craig was curious to find out why he had been able to just walk passed Chief , when most days he couldn't even sneak passed him

`Something bothering you? He asked

`Nothing much`, came the reply.

`I'm a pretty good listener if you want to talk, might just help to have someone to talk it over with, you know , get another point of view,` he said sitting down next too him.

Six months ago Chief would never have even thought about trusting anyone with his thoughts, but now he did not think twice and started to tell Craig about Angel , and how much she meant to him.

`She's just a friend `, he said,` but she treats me like anyone else , not like I'm different, so I spend some of my time with her , you know making sure she has everything she needs until I can get to see her again,` he told him. Told her stuff, about me, and she understood, but I just thought her husband was away fighting. Didn't think that she was alone. Not until I went round with the holly and she said she was working. Didn't want to decorate the house` ….. Chief stopped as he suddenly realized what was wrong.

`She lied to me `, he said

`What do you mean? asked Craig

`She's not going back to work, she's going to stay at home by herself. Don't make sense that she would go where people are enjoying themselves , now does it? He asked

`Not really ` , Craig said

`I got to do something to help her, can't le her spend Christmas alone`. Chief said.

`Maybe it would be best to leave her alone until after the holidays as she asked you to do `, he said

`Chief was adamant, `No way she should be with someone who cares about her,` he said

`Well why don't you just invite her here for Christmas ?

`She wouldn't come`, Chief said.

`Craig smiled. `You're telling me that four cons can't get one lady up to the mansion? He asked

Chief returned the smile.

`She could hardly leave once we got her here , now could she ?he asked. `You know Warden you're getting real sneaky , must be something to do with the company you're keeping`.

Craig laughed , `You'd better believe it `, he said and stood up and headed back to the mansion.

Chief headed inside to find the other three cons. He knew that they would help him once he explained what he needed them to do and as he explained their curiosity got the better of them, and they wanted to know why he had kept her a secret, what was so special about her that he hadn't wanted her to meet them. They wanted to see the woman that could make Chief worry about her so much, knowing that it took him a long time to care about anyone . This woman was obviously very special too him and they wanted to know why. they all agreed that all they had to do was get her to the mansion so they sat down and worked out a plan to do just that.

Chief had been right about Angel, she had no intentions of going anywhere this Christmas, everyone being so happy and cheerful depressed her. she had been invited to a couple of Christmas lunches and had told both Mary and Peter that she would be extremely bad company and really just wanted to be alone and deal with the holidays as best she could. She told them that she would phone themboth to let them know that she was ok and to wish them a Happy Christmas if it would make them feel better ,but that she really did need the time to be by herself with her memories. they finally agreed knowing that she had made up her mind and that there was nothing they could do to change it. but made her promise that if she needed anything she would call now she sat in front of the fire and remembered last Christmas. they had all been together not knowing then that it would be the last time. Sarah had been thoroughly spoilt by Craig even though they had specifically told Craig not to, and had more presents under the tree than ever before .But they had not really minded ,Craig loved Sarah and it was his generous nature that made him want to spoil her as often as he got the chance. and Christmas gave him just that chance. He would never change and to be honest she really didn't want himto, and he was happier than she had seen him for a while he was laughing and playing with Sarah and her new toys. she had held David close and they had smiled and watched them playing together. Sarah brought happiness into his life he had loved her so much . The war and the death that surrounded him took its toll sometimes, more than he would care to admit. and if spoiling their daughter helped him, relaxed him enough to face the horrors of war again, then that wasalright by them. David at least had her to come home to and didn't mind sharing his daughter with Craig, he knew that Craig needed someone to come home too just as he did, and without them Craig would have no one in his life , they were family and Sarah adored both Craig and her father and always had at least one of them to give her their undivided attention. Sarah had loved them all so muchsometimes it seemed that she had two fathers for they would tease her, being identical and pretending to be each other, and she would laugh until she cried until they were all on the floor in a heap unable to do anything but lie there until the laughter stopped Sarah would turn to her father to tell him how much she loved him always knowing which one was him no-matter what they did. There had been so many good times, and she suddenly thought how lucky she had been to have had such a family to have had so much love in her life, even if it was for such a short time it was more love than some people found in a suddenly thought of Chief and realised that this young man had probably never had a good Christmas in all his life. She thought of him as a friend now, a good friend, and hoped that he at least would find a little happiness this Christmas with the new friends that he had seemed to have found and who actually seemed to care about him . she hoped so , everyone deserved some happiness in their lives and from what he had told her he was learning to trust them . shehoped that they would not let him down for if they did she knew he would never forgive knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and at first she didn't answer it as she didn't want to be disturbed, but as it became obvious that whoever it was had no intention of going away she got up and opened it. Standing in the doorway was a slightly built young man that she had not seen before . He was hopping from foot to foot as if he didn't quite know what to do next.

`Hello , can I help you? She asked him, The pure cockney accent that answered said `Oh Hi , Yes well erh ,

Is there something you need ? She asked

`Names Goniff`, came the reply, `Chief's cut himself real bad and sent me, that is us to fetch you`, he said as he nodded towards the jeep.

`What about the Dr. on the Estate ? She asked

`We can't find him or the local Dr . And the Lt.'s not back yet, so we really need your help`, he said

`Why didn't you just bring him here? She asked.

`Look lady Chief's bleeding bad and we didn't know what to do, he just asked us to fetch you , so please `, Goniff pointed to the jeep

`All right I'll just get my coat , won't be a minute`, she said

As she turned she missed the smile that passed between the two men, they had at least pulled off their part of the plan , now it was all down to Chiefy.

As Angel got her things she had a feeling that that she was being taken for a ride in more ways than one.

When they reached the mansion Goniff was fidgeting more than ever and she was getting more and more sure that something wasn't quite right . As she entered through the front doors there was Chief standing in front of her looking absolutely fine. and very sheepish. He gave her a smile.

`Want some coffee now you're here ? He asked her

It was then that she saw red.

`What the Hell do you think your doing? She asked angrily `.I thought you were hurt. Of all the stupid inconsiderate things to do , this just about tops the list. Don't you think I have better things to do than play your childish games? How could you be so thoughtless,? didn't you think for one minute that I'd worry that you were hurt? How could you do something so idiotic?

Goniff and Casino tried to explain

`I don't want to hear any of your excuses either `, she said to both of them

`You let me down Chief, you really did`. She said turning to leave.

The door opened just before she reached it and she found herself looking straight into the face of Lt Craig Garrison. She backed up a couple of steps more by surprise than anything else , he was the last person she had expected to see. he closed the door and stood with his back to it cutting off any means of escape for her. They stood looking at each other and then he finally said,

`Hello Catherine it's been a while.`She looked at him not knowing what to say , not knowing how he had found her, or what he was doing here until Goniff said

` Hi Warden didn't expect you back so soon`. Then it all fell into place. he was the Warden.

`Go wait in your room`, he told them, `We'll talk later`.

The look on Chief's face told him that things had not gone realized that all the time Chief had been talking about the Warden he had actually being talking about Craig. she had no reason to connect the two together, he had been so close all this time and she had never known. She looked at him and thought how tired he looked.

`They belong to you? she asked `You're the Warden?

He found that she was smiling at him.

`What's so funny? He asked

`I was just picturing your face the first time they called you that, knowing how much you hate nicknames`, she said

He smiled back,

`You should have heard some of the things they've called me over the last few months`, he said.

They stood in silence .

`Would you take a walk with me ? He asked

She looked into his eyes and could see none of the hate that she had feared would be there, just concern and maybe a little hope. maybe there could be a second chance for them both she had to hopeso . She took his outstretched hand .

`I think I would like that very much`, she said.

It was a cold day even though the sun was shining.

`What are you doing here ?he asked

`They were playing stupid games, got me up here on a bet I suppose, told me Chief was hurt. Yelled at them a lot for it though .` she said `Afraid I lost my temper`.

`It wasn't a game, Catherine , Chief was worried about you being on your own, and to be honesty it was my idea to get you up here , not his, he just didn't want you to be alone at Christmas, guess he knows all to well what's it like`, he said , `But I had no idea that you were Angel.

She smiled sadly at him,

`I think I owe him an apology, do you think there's any chance at all he'll accept it? she asked

`He might do , as it's from you, wouldn't think so from anyone else`, he said

` I hope so`, she said `I really value the friendship we've got and I don't want to lose it just because I did something stupid`,

They stood looking at each other , neither knowing what to say after being apart for so long.

He took hold of her hand and gently pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her, he hugged her like he used to do and she in returned the hug more again.

`I missed you so much `, she said,` and I hurt you so much too, can you ever forgive me? She asked him

`You were right , I should have taken more care of her , it's me that should be asking your forgiveness for letting her die`, he said

She had not imagined the burden of guilt that she had put upon him.

`I needed someone to blame`, she said sadly` You just got in the way of the anger , I just wanted to hurt someone as much as I'd been hurt, and everything just landed at your feet. I'm so sorry for the things I said, I never meant them , not really , and I wish I could take back every word that hurt you`, she told him.

She lowered her head as the tears started to flow

He drew her closer and hugged her ,

`I love you so much,` he said, `You are all the family I have left and I don't want to ever lose you again. You mean everything to me.

She let him hold her as the tears flowed , feeling for the first time in a long time that she was safe now.

`I love you too,` she said `I was afraid you wouldn't want me after what I said,

`Sometimes you can be really stupid, do you know that? He asked smiling at her .`I will always want you , you're my sister , or the nearest thing to one that I'm ever going to get , I need you in my life , and I'm not willing to let you go now that I've finally found you again , I just hope you realize that `, he said.

She started to cry again, and this time they held each other and grieved together for the little girl they had both loved and lost, as they should have done all those months before.

She suddenly shivered and he realized that the sun had gone in and it was getting colder.

`Come on , let's get indoors and I'll make you a nice hot cup of tea , ok? He asked her .

He put his arm round her shoulders and guided her towards the mansion.

As they entered the house the smell of dinner cooking driftedthrough the air , it smelt really good, and her stomach rumbled as she realised she had not bothered to eat today. He got her a biscuit to have with her tea and sat her down at the kitchen table

`You want to stay for dinner ,as they've gone to all this trouble to get you here `, he asked , smiling

`I'd like nothing better but only if it's still all right with them`, she said. `I owe them all an apology, especially Chief , and I'd like to do that before I decide whether or not to stay , if that's all right `.

`They should be in their room , yell if you need backup`, he said.

She smiled, `I think this is something I have to do on my own,` she said

She knocked on the door.

`It ain't like it's locked `, came the reply.

She peered round the edge of the door, `Is it all right if I come in? she asked

The three of them stood up,

`Not if you've come to yell at us some more `, said Casino.

`Actually I came to ask if you'd accept my apology, seems I got it wrong and was out of line`, she said. I've had a few things explained to me, and I know you did what you did out of concern for me, and I thank you for that , and I am sorry and I was hoping it wasn't to late to accept your invitation to dinner`, she said.

Casino smiled at her `Well I suppose everyone's entitled to be an idiot once, so its all right with me`, he said smirking at her.

`Yeah and not everyone can be as perfect as me`, said Goniff smiling at her

She looked at Actor.

`1 would be only to glad to have a lady present , it would make dinner much more tolerable `, he said.

She smiled at them,

`Thank you `, she said but I still have one more to go , don't I?

Actor looked at her.

`He is probably in the library, as the Warden told us to stay indoors,` he said

`Oh well wish me luck`, she said and went in search of Chief.

At first glance the library looked empty but as she got further in she saw that Chief had placed his chair facing the window with his back to the door. She had no doubt that he knew that she was there but he showed no sign of acknowledging her presence She walked round to face him and when he still ignored her she pulled up the nearby footstool and sat at his feet. She reached for his hand and when he tried to pull it away she just looked into his eyes and held on a littletighter. she had no intention of losing such a good friend without a fight.

`I'm sorry`, she said

He looked at her and said nothing.

`I'm sorry that I doubted you, I should have known that you would do nothing to hurt me intentionally, please forgive me? She asked.

`Don't matter `, he said gruffly

`Oh I hope it matters very much`, she said ` But you have to realize I thought you were badly hurt, according to Goniff you were on the verge of bleeding to death, and when I opened the door and saw you standing there I didn't know whether to hug you for being all right or thump you for scaring me`,

She saw a slight smile on his face.

Goniff might have got a bit carried away `, he said

`Only a little? She asked

`Well if you're going to stick around you'd better get used it , it's kinda the normal thing round here`, he said

`So we ok? She asked , because I don't want to lose a friend that I care about very much if I can help it`, she said.

He gave her one of his rare smiles .

`Don't have that many friends that I can afford to lose one either`. He said.

She hugged him, `Thank you for caring`, she said.

He accepted the hug and returned it, `You're welcome`, he said.

She didn't realize then how precious that hug was , but he knew that now she was part of his life.

`We'd better go and check on dinner , cos if Goniff gets there first we're in big trouble`, he said

Craig smiled as they entered the kitchen. `Everything all right `, he asked

Angel nodded

Craig smiled at her knowing by the look on Chief's face that it was ok. Chief did nor forgive easily . He must care a lot about Angel ,as Craig was sure the rest of them would learn to do if she decided to stick around for a went into the guy's room for a pre-lunch drink. they had done a really good job of decorating the Christmas table and the holly and the candles made a really pretty table decoration.

`I would like to make a toast`. He said

`To family and friends, near and far, may they stay safe and never be forgotten`.

There was a lot of clinking of glasses and Merry Christmases and Angel suddenly realized that unless she was very much mistaken she had just found herself a new family, one which was going to take a lot of looking after and was going to be a definite challenge to her sanity, and she really didn't mind on little bit. She had the feeling that the next year would be a new start for both her and Craig, the new beginning that they both needed. It was a family who though not relatedwould take care of each other . She would always make sure that they had a home to come back to . They would come to know that they would always be welcome at her cottage just as Chief did now. She would make it a place for them to run to when they needed some time away from each other , and not only for them but for Craig too , it would be good for them to rebuild their family and she was surethat these four would be included in that she looked around the table she was glad she had decided to stay and that things were alright between them all. They had a great lunch and after all the clearing up was done they gathered round the tree to open their presents. She noticed that Casino's family had sent presents for all of them including Craig ,and Goniff had presents from his mom in the states . Only Chief and Actor had the presents they had received from each other so she assumed that Actor like Chief had no family. she however thought she had the best present ever , she hadher brother back and no present in the world would have meant more to her. The guys settled down to an afternoon of cigars and brandy for those who wanted it ,and they listened to the radio and re-read the letters their families had sent left them and wandered back to the library after making a cup of coffee to sit by the fire and relax a little. she was curled up in one of the large chairs when there was a knock on the door and Craig appeared

`Mind if I come in? he asked

She laughed at him.

`It is your house you know`. She said

`Well technically it belongs to the Army at least for the duration`, he said

`How are you really? he asked

`There are good days and bad`, she sighed, `And today is definitely one of the best`.

He told her he felt the same and kissed on the forehead.

`Missed that`, she said

He smiled

`Tell me. is it always this chaotic round here , or is it just today?

`Like this most of the time, gets even worse on a good day`, he said laughing.

`Does it work, this unit I mean , with them being cons? She asked.

He nodded . `It works very well.

`They are good at what they do, and so long as they don't get side tracked the jobs get done`, he told her. `I just have to remember that they're not regular soldiers, and give them a little leeway sometimes.`

She smiled at him,` And what about us, are we all right ?she asked.

`We will be , given time`, he said

`You sure? She asked

`Never been more sure about anything `, he said

They heard some one calling their names and just as they were getting out of their chairs Goniff swept into the room . They had decided that games were in order and he had sent to find them. They laughed together as they went to the main room

. `What will they think of next? she asked as they walked arm in armdown the corridor.

`You never know, really you never know`, He said

She knew that both David and Sarah would have liked these guys and as much as she would always cherish the times they had together she knew that she had a new family now that needed her . She would be there for them because whether they knew it or not they needed her as much as she needed them. Craig opened the door for her to gothrough and smiled at her and said…

` Let the fun begin !


End file.
